Mike Penning (Hemel Hempstead) (Con): Let me explain one of the reasons why there is such a problem with finances in West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust, which is in my constituency. Sedgefield, for instance, gets £1,210 per head, whereas last year in Hemel Hempstead, Dacorum primary care trust received £960 per head. There is a clear problem across the country in this regard. On Monday night, the health trust announced, in essence, the closure of Hemel Hempstead hospital, as it is facing £450 million-worth of debts. My constituents will be astonished at the complacent and patronising way in which the Secretary of State has addressed this problem. Their hospital, which was built for their community, is to close. Ms Hewitt: As the hon. Gentleman knows, the deficit and overspending problems not only in Hemel Hempstead but across Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire are extremely serious. They have to be tackled, and there has been lengthy debate and full consultation on the changes that are needed in respect of different hospitals in that area. He talked about funding, but I should point out that in his constituency there are 65 general practitioners per 100,000 population, which is significantly more than the average and significantly more than in a constituency such as Sedgefield. I am sure that the entire House and the public will be interested to hear that what the hon. Gentleman is asking for is less money for areas such as Sedgefield, which have far greater health needs, and more money for his area. However, his area has already received enormous increases in its NHS budget, and, on average, it has a healthier and wealthier population than the areas from which he would seek to take money. |
